The European Union has undertaken a comprehensive modernization and harmonization of its design protection framework.
Continue Reading Toward Digital-Ready Design Protection: The New EU Design Act

News and legal updates.
The European Union has undertaken a comprehensive modernization and harmonization of its design protection framework.
Continue Reading Toward Digital-Ready Design Protection: The New EU Design Act
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) handed down its ruling in Kwantum v. Vitra on 24 October 2024. This ruling reflects a significant shift regarding EU protection…
Continue Reading EU Court Ruling Expands Copyright Protection for International Works of Applied ArtThe Dutch Supreme Court (Hoge Raad) recently submitted prejudicial questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), the EU’s highest court, to clarify the application…
Continue Reading Are US-Designed Chairs Without US IP Protection Copyright Protectable in Netherlands and Belgium as Works of Applied Art?Imagine this: what if Dutch Formula-1 racecar driver Max Verstappen would deliver your groceries? That would be something, right? Although – according to a 2016 commercial – when doing so,…
Continue Reading “Under Dutch law, a lookalike in a commercial may be a so-called portrait that the person portrayed may be able to resist”: Supreme Court of the Netherlands
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) issued a landmark decision on Dec. 19, 2019, that effectively restricts the resale of legally purchased e-books. The case involved the Dutch company Tom…
Continue Reading European Court of Justice’s Landmark Decision on the Resale of E-Books
On March 26, the parliament of the European Union approved the “Directive on copyright in the Digital Single Market”, one of the most heavily disputed legislative acts in EU history.
Continue Reading EU Parliament Approves Heavily Disputed Copyright Directive
In a period of ongoing modernization of European legislation concerning the European Digital Single Market, the regulation of online copyright is a continuing concern. The proposed new copyright directive (‘the…
Continue Reading Modernization of EU Copyright Rules: A Good Idea With Bad Results?
On 25 July 2018 an important legal opinion was rendered in a high-profile case regarding the possibility of copyright on taste. In this legal opinion the Court of Justice of the European Union (the CJEU) was advised by a special advisor, the ‘Advocate General’. He is of the opinion that taste should not be protected by copyright.
Continue Reading Can Taste be Copyrighted?